I just noticed today as I was getting out of the car that the door hinge is really dirty. I am talking about the joint between the hinge and the car body, not the part that swings. It seems there is some kind of glue-liked material applied to the hinge before it is bolted onto the car body. When the car was new, it was all clean and clear. But now, after 3 years, it has become gray/yellow and dirty. So what is the best way to clean this area? I can't open the door and then spray water on it -- water would get all over the seats and carpet in the car.

Also what kind of cleaning material should I use for this area? I am pretty sure that I don't want to wax the door jams, but do others do it? Thanks.

 

I usually just get a damp rag and wipe it clean every now and then. Putting a coat of wax there wont hurt either.

 

Damp rag works great, just run it over the area. Coat of wax wouldnt hurt i guess but i dont really see it as a necessity, i just wash that area when i wash my car.

 

after washing, i always dry the "hidden areas" with a cotton rag. fuel door area, inside trunk area, doors ,and last underhood area. (actually, last is the metal inside the wheel wells and all around the bottom of the car- including the strakes). in fact, i use that damp rag to then wipe down the entire engine compartment - keeps the car new all over.

 

I mostly do what wanabe does also (except I don't clean the wheel wells and under the car). But no matter what I do, I still cannot get the "glue-liked" stuff at the door hinge clean . I've tried wiping it, squirting detergent at it, etc. The glue has turned from a clear/yellow color to grayish black. Since I have a GPW, the dirt just shows up so much worse. Help

 

are you talking about grease?
several products would work, but the one that i would use first would prob be goo-be-gone (cause i use it for difficult to remove stuff, and cause its safe- just citrus). be sure to rewax the area after you clean it.

 

i use a second chamois to wipe down the door areas and such (a chamois that I dont mind getting dirty, not one i'd use on my exterior paint)...

I also use it for the engine bay.

 

No, I am not talking about grease. It is some kind of glue like material that is put there between the car body and the door hinge before they are bolted together. It is the side of the hinge that is attached to the car, not the swinging side of the hinge (that side has the grease). I don't have a digital camera so I cannot post a picture, but if I find one, I'll put a link here.

 

Sounds like Simple Green would work,although I'd mix it with alot of water and spray it onto a rag and not on the car because of the over spray.